POLAND, OH — Township trustees approved a new starting wage for patrol officers Wednesday and gave the police chief the go–ahead to recommend a candidate for a full–time patrol position.

The new classification lowers the entry–level wage for patrol officers to $16 per hour, with officers reaching their top pay of $25.39 per hour after 10 years. The starting wage had been $19.51 per hour, said Officer Frank DeMain, head representative for the Fraternal Order of Police patrol union.

"They created a new tier system, and for me, this is monumental. This will save hundreds of thousands [of dollars] down the road," said Trustee Eric Ungaro.

The contract change was presented as trustees consider filling a vacancy left by the retirement of 27–year department veteran Sgt. Gary Abeid.

Trustee Mark Naples said he didn't think a new full–time hire was necessary and was the one dissenting vote on the contract change.

"I think we can do it with part–time officers and hold our ground with what we have," Naples said.

The township has 10 full–time officers, including the chief, and six part–time officers. The board directed Police Chief Brian Goodin to recommend a candidate for a full–time position.

Trustees, Goodin and the police union also recognized Abeid Wednesday for his years of service.

"We all respect Gary. … He's been a great asset to the police department," Goodin said as he pre– sented Abeid with a retirement badge.

In other business, trustees accepted $22,800 from the park board, which had unanimously approved an agreement for an oil–and–gas pipeline to be placed under the park.

The township leases the park land for $1 each year from Carbon Limestone Landfill, where a natural–gas horizontal–drilling well is located.

The well, operated by Hilcorp Energy Corp., is about 1,500 feet from the park border and will send gas to the Hickory Bend Pipeline System, 50 miles of 20– to 24–inch wet–gas gathering lines being constructed in Northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

The pipeline will travel near the state line in Poland and Springfield townships and lead to a cryogenic gas–processing plant in Springfield.

Mike Heher, landfill manager and a township park board member, said the pipeline will placed 30 to 50 feet beneath the park so that wetlands there will not be disturbed.

He asked trustees to consider using part of the money to pay for water lines out to the park.